Thread: Thoughts from a white woman about the #ALAN18 panel titled "From Beyoncé to Eric Garner to Starr Carter: Using The Hate U Give to Address Emotional Labor in Black Women's Lives"
The panel was lead by two white women. They acknowledged their identities as white women at the beginning of the session, they also acknowledged that they "learned a lot" when they presented the session during #ncte18. No specifics were shared abt what was learned and from whom.
I was not at the earlier session, but heard that WOC did much of the 'teaching' necessary for that learning. Not acknowledging those WOC & their work explicitly is centering white women and ignoring the emotional labor of the WOC -The very topic the session title claims to center
As white women, we must understand that our unspoken rules of "niceness", "kindness", & "productive" are code for dominant white language expectations that center whiteness and decenter the IWOC we claim to listen to. Even if that isn't the intention, it is the impact.
The presenters referenced almost all white scholars, there was a mention of Dr. Sims-Bishop but not a specific reference (she has published a lot folks). The idea of emotional labor as a framework was interesting, but framed as free of race. #ALAN18
If/when we - as white scholars - are going to integrate ideas of emotional labor in regards to IPOC, more specifically Indigenous & WOMEN of Color. These things are not the same. at. all. Regardless of intention, the impact of this is another way WW erase IPOC/IWOC. #ALAN18
Some people are feeling like learning happened in the session which made it good. Yes BUT there problematic things said & done. Intention or "good things" do not eradicate the negative or problematic things. THOSE things are what we need to dig into if we truly want to be allies
I was the person who interrupted the session and asked that the images of murdered black children be taken down. It was not problematic because of the images themselves - it was problematic because it was white women showing them while talking about the labor WOC. #ALAN2018
The session began with a clip from THUG movie of "the talk". It was presented as if it were a revelation that these conversations happen ALL. THE. TIME. with children of color. This is centering whiteness. #ALAN2018
At the end, The presenters said that they were learning & want to continue this work. I appreciated the audience member who said that this work must begin with individual work abt our own identities. Then we need to listen to IPOC. Listen & NOT defend or explain. LISTEN #ALAN2018
If you are a white person reading this thread & feel like I am too critical, unkind, disrespectful, not nice, etc. Ask yourself why you feel that way. Think abt the unintentional consequences that further perpetuate white privilege & continue to silence voices of IPOC. #ALAN2018
End of soapbox. For now. #ALAN2018
